The Maples Group European IRC Championships last weekend rounded out a MASSIVE three weekends of racing on Dublin Bay.
Congratulations to the team in the Royal Irish YC for running the UNIO ICRAs, the Northern Trust Ireland J-Cup and the Maples Group IRC Europeans on three successive weekends. It was some achievement.
Here at North Sails Ireland, we were on the water for all three and helping and supporting our customers before and after racing whilst ashore.
In addition to Shane Hughes (racing on The Evans J99 'Snapshot') and myself (racing on Barry Cunningham's J109 'Chimaera') from North Sails Ireland, it was also great to have Dave Lenz, North Sails Head of Design at the event racing as tactician on “Beau Geste” who won IRC 0. You NAILED some of those starts Lenzy!
The pre and post-race chats with your North Sails team were fantastic.
Here are a few of the threads…..
“How can I point higher?”
“Why don’t we have a better ‘fast forward mode’”
“I have leehelm, how can I fix it?”
“I have too much weatherhelm!”
“How can I get deeper downwind without collapsing the kite?”
“How soft should I drop my rig tension to in the light stuff”
“How do I make my Code 2 jib work in 25 – 30 knots of wind?”
“At what windspeed can I carry my A2 up to?”
“Can we make a J109 plane?”
"Yes we can! J109 'Chimaera' planing using her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail and A-GRADE Superkote A2 Asymmetric" - video: Dave Lenz
“How can I drop my IRC TCC by three or four points and not go any slower?”
There were hundreds of chats – the passion for our sport was fantastic and we are always delighted to help anyone and everyone out wherever and whenever we can.
North Sails Results
We were THRILLED to see North Sails powered boats filling the podiums at the Europeans.
Special congratulations to John & Suzie Murphy on “Outrajeous” in winning IRC 1 and the overall event with a superb performance in IRC 1.
John & Suzie Murphy ‘Outrajeous’ flying her North Sails 3Di RAW mainsail & 3Di HELIX Code 1 jib – Photo: Afloat
North Sails Results at IRC Euros 2024
IRC 0
Beneteau First 50 'Checkmate' flying her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail & Code 1 jib - Photo: Maurice O'Connell / North Sails Ireland
- TP 52 ‘Beau Geste’ Karl Kwok
- First 50 ‘Checkmate’ Nigel Biggs & Dave Cullen
- J112e ‘ValenTina’ John Treanor
IRC 1
L-R J109 'Joker II', A35 'Final Call' and J109 'Chimaera', 2nd, 3rd and 4th overall in IRC 1 - all flying 100% North Sails Inventories - Photo: Afloat.ie
- J109 ‘Outrajeous’ John & Suzie Murphy
- J109 ‘Joker II’ John Maybury
- A35 ‘Final Call’ John Minnis
IRC 2
Farr ½ tonner 'Swuzzlebubble' flying her North Sails 3Di RAW Mainsail & Code 2 jib - Photo: Afloat.ie
2. Farr ½ Tonner “Swuzzlebubble’ Jamesee & Dave Dwyer
3. J97 ‘Jeneral Lee’ Colin Kavanagh
IRC 3
J24 ‘Hard On Port’ flying her North Sails FR-2 kite and North Sails Fat Head main – Photo: Afloat
- J24 ‘Hard On Port’ David Bailey
- ¼ Tonner ‘Snoopy’ Martin Mahon & Joanne Hall
- Sigma 33 ‘Insider’ Stephen Mullaney
From your North Sails Ireland team - congratulations to you all - and sail FASTer for longer.
